Pat Ryan: A Legacy That Goes Far Beyond Being One of the Busiest Builders in Minnesota

Pat Ryan’s father, John, never worked at Ryan Cos. US Inc. But as an estate planner, he drafted a plan in the 1960s for what would happen should several shareholders of the family-owned company die in the middle of a recession.

He said such an event could be an Armageddon, and one hit the Minneapolis commercial real estate firm in 2009.

In a five-year span starting in 2007, Pat Ryan lost his uncles Fran and Russ and his cousin, mentor and longtime Ryan CEO Jim Ryan, which dealt a major blow to the company as the economic collapse sank many of the company’s competitors.

Because of his successful leadership and his commitment to the Twin Cities community, the Business Journal has selected Pat Ryan as its 2017 Executive of the Year.